


Scarborough

by Inperialex



Category: Art Garfunkel - Fandom, Paul Simon - Fandom, Scarborough Fair - Simon & Garfunkel (song), Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles
Genre: Chapters about life, Multi, Short Stories, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2017-11-06
Packaged: 2018-07-24 06:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 16,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7498068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inperialex/pseuds/Inperialex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme are best friends who live in Scarborough and they are all neighbors on Fair Street. They go through ups and downs in their personal lives, but the friends are always there to help each other out and have fun together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Glasses, Laptops, and Bickering

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like a short biography on the characters, or would like to see drawings of them, copy and paste the following link into the URL bar  
> http://ganachest.deviantart.com/gallery/59591406/Devious-Folder

“Have you seen my glasses?” Parsley shouted from across the house as she scanned the kitchen countertops.  
“You mean your 1960s glasses that you should get rid of?” Thyme responded, and Parsley rolled her eyes. Her twin had never appreciated her love of the sixties.  
“You’re just jealous that I have glasses similar to John Lennon’s and you don’t,” Parsley teased. As she looked toward the living room, she saw the circular glasses lying on the coffee table. “I found them.”  
“I don’t care about your Josh Lemon. And maybe you should take better care of your stuff,” Thyme shouted from his room. He was always the more organized child. He had even received a label-maker last Christmas.  
“Says the one who has forgotten to feed three pet fish,” said Parsley sarcastically as she walked through Thyme’s open door.  
“Hey! Those things are harder to take care of than you think. They don’t do anything so I start to forget they’re there,” said Thyme.  
“Sure, make up excuses. This is the reason why I never let you take care of Bagel.”  
“Taking care of a teacup pig is different than taking care of a fish. Pigs move around and make noise,” Thyme adjusted his rectangular glasses and he glanced at his laptop.  
“You’re never on your laptop for so long. What are you doing on there?” asked Parsley curiously.  
“I, uh, I’m about to video chat with Rosemary,” Thyme responded rather hesitantly.  
“Ooooh! Someone is moving up in the world of crushes,” Parsley teased as she patted Thyme’s shaggy, light blonde hair. She always liked the fact that both of their hair styles were short, shaggy, and blonde.  
“Shut up! This is why I didn’t want to tell you,” Thyme blushed as he pushed his sister’s hand away. “Now get out, I don’t want you in here when I talk to Rosemary.”  
“Oh come on Thyme, Rosemary is my best friend,” said Parsley.  
“Get out, Pars,” said Thyme.  
“Fine,” Parsley shrugged and left the room.  
“And don’t go telling Sage about this!” Thyme shouted into the living room.  
“Too late, my phone is already in my hand!” Parsley shouted back.  
Thyme sighed and clicked on his laptop as the redheaded girl appeared on the screen.


	2. Gossip

Sage plopped onto her bed and exhaled deeply. Even though it was only her father and herself living in her house, it could get exhausting.   
Why are parents so exhausting? She thought to herself. And why aren’t my own thoughts in Spanish? That is my first language. My thoughts should be in Spanish.  
At that moment, her phone rang and she saw that Parsley was calling.  
“Hello?”  
“Hey Sage, guess what is happening right at this moment!” Parsley said excitedly.  
“Um, you’re drinking coffee even though it is the afternoon?” Sage replied jokingly.  
“No. Well, yes. But I’m not talking about that.”  
“Oh, well then what are you talking about?”  
“Thyme is finally video chatting Rosemary!”  
“Finally! That boy needs to step up his game, and Rosemary is too shy to even start a conversation.” said Sage. She knew how nervous Rosemary got while talking to Thyme, so video chats were a good way to ease that.  
“Yeah, conversation starters are more of Thyme’s thing. But still, he has never been very good at having crushes on girls. He hides a lot of his romantic feelings,” Parsley explained.  
Sage began twisting her brown hair around her finger as she spoke. “Well, he flirts with Rosemary every once in a while.”  
“Yeah, but that’s only when me or Basil push him to do it. We always have to explain the difference between hitting on a girl and flirting with her,” said Parsley with a sigh.  
“Hmm, speaking of Basil,” Sage said with a grin.  
“Don’t you dare start that conversation!” exclaimed Parsley. Sage loved how nervous Parsley got when someone brought up this subject.  
“You know he has to at least have a small crush on you!” Sage laughed.  
“No he doesn’t! I even asked Thyme, and Thyme said Basil isn’t interested in anyone,” said Parsley.  
“Well then Thyme is lying to you,” said Sage.  
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Parsley sighed.  
“So do you have a crush on Basil?” Sage asked as she grinned again.  
“I don’t know! How should I know?” said Parsley, then Sage suddenly heard a crash come from Parsley’s side of the phone call. “Oh no, uh, I, um, broke a cup by accident. Um, gotta go, bye.”  
Sage laughed as Parsley hung up the phone. “She totally likes him.”


	3. Video Chatting

Rosemary had been anxiously pacing around her room all afternoon while occasionally glancing at her laptop screen. She felt nervous about video chatting with Thyme. What was she going to say? What if she said something stupid? She couldn’t just end the video call, because that would be rude.  
“Alrigh’ Rosemary. You can do this,” Rosemary told herself in attempt to boost her confidence.  
“Why are ye talkin’ to yerself?” said a voice from the hallway. Rosemary looked to find her eleven-year-old sister, Lavender, staring at her as though she were mentally insane.  
“I’m just, eh, thinkin’ abou’ somethin’…ou’ loud. And, wait, how long have ye been standin’ there?!” asked Rosemary, suddenly feeling slightly irritated. She did not want to deal with her sister at the moment.  
“Ever since ye turned yer laptop on,” replied Lavender.  
“That was an hour ago!” said Rosemary.  
“Are ye thinkin’ abou’ yer boyfriend?” asked Lavender, ignoring what her sister had just said. At that moment, Rosemary’s face turned as red as her curly hair.  
“I told ye, he’s not me boyfriend!” Rosemary exclaimed angrily. “Now go away!”  
Rosemary shut her door before Lavender could respond, then flopped onto her navy blue bed sheets.  
“She’s annoyin’, isn’t she Khail?”  
The three-legged black cat had been resting in front of Rosemary’s laptop all day. He meowed in response to her question, then the notification sound on Rosemary’s laptop went off at that exact moment.  
“It’s Thyme!” Rosemary exclaimed happily. She moved Khail off of the bed and clicked ‘accept’ on the video chat request.  
The boy with shaggy, light blonde hair and rectangular glasses appeared on screen.  
“Hey Rosemary,” Thyme said with a smile.  
“Hi Thyme,” Rosemary smiled back. She thought she would feel incredibly nervous, but after looking into Thyme’s light green eyes she felt perfectly calm. “Is tha’ new flannel shirt?”  
“Yeah, it is. It was technically for Parsley, but it’s a little bit big on her and she didn’t like the colors,” Thyme explained.  
“Well Parsley ‘as never been fond of the color brown, even if it is a light shade,” said Rosemary. “I like tha’ shirt though.”  
“Yeah, Scottish people tend to like plaid,” Thyme said jokingly as he winked.  
“Thyme! Tha’ is such a sterotype,” laughed Rosemary.  
“Oh come on, I’m just kidding! You know I don’t believe in stereotypes. Besides, it made you laugh,” Thyme said with a chuckle.  
Suddenly Rosemary heard a crashing sound that seemed to come from Thyme’s end of the video call.  
“What was that?” Thyme yelled into (what Rosemary assumed to be) the kitchen.  
“I broke a coffee cup,” Rosemary could vaguely hear Parsley’s response.  
“Did you do it on purpose again?”  
“…maybe.”  
“You need to stop doing that! There are other ways to end a phone call with Sage,” Thyme said with an exasperated tone. The conversation between the twins amused Rosemary.  
“I assume Sage started talkin’ abou’ Basil again?” asked Rosemary curiously.  
“Yeah, I guess so. That seems to be the only time Parsley breaks cups,” Thyme responded.  
“Just out of curiosity, are ye…uh, are ye alrigh’ with your best friend havin’ a crush on yer sister?”  
Thyme shushed Rosemary as he stood up to close his bedroom door. He returned to his laptop with a sigh.  
“Sorry, I didn’t want Parsley to hear us. And to answer your question, yes I’m fine with Basil having a crush on her. I just don’t want him calling her ‘cute’ in front of me,” Thyme explained.  
“Oh well tha’ is sweet,” Rosemary smiled, then her face turned red once again. “I mean, uh, its sweet tha’ you approve of Basil and your sister! I’m not callin’ you sweet…I mean you are sweet but I-“  
“Rosemary, its fine. I know what you’re trying to say,” Thyme laughed.  
“Oh, thank goodness,” said Rosemary, relieved. She then felt Khail rub against her leg as he purred.  
“Do I hear a cat purring?” Thyme asked.  
“Oh yeah, tha’ is Khail. I think he wants on the bed,” Rosemary said as she bent down to pet the purring cat.  
“You could let him up, I’d love to see him,” Thyme smiled.  
“It seems like he is abou’ to pounce up here—AH!”  
Khail had pounced directly onto Rosemary’s laptop and somehow shut down the video call.  
“Ye know, for a three-legged cat ye jump awful high,” Rosemary sighed as she sent a video chat request to Thyme.


	4. Basil's Guitar

“So is this an A minor chord?”  
“No, that’s a C major chord. Those are two very different chords.”  
Thyme exhaled with frustration as he set his forehead onto the edge of the acoustic guitar. Basil had been trying to teach him various chords all morning, but he could not get any of them right.  
“Your index finger is placed correctly, but try moving your other two fingers to here… and here,” Basil suggested as he moved Thyme’s fingers to the correct places. Thyme then lifted his head from the guitar and glared at Basil.  
“Do you really have to do that every time I get a chord wrong?” Thyme asked, very annoyed now.  
“Don’t get irritated with me, dude. You’re the one who insists on learning how to play an instrument,” Basil replied.  
“Well, I want to prove to people that I have talent. It’s not like anyone else in this family has musical skill,” Thyme remarked.  
“Actually Thyme,” said a voice from the doorway. “I can play ‘Sounds of Silence’ by Simon and Garfunkel on guitar.”  
Parsley was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed and one foot on the wall behind her.  
“Hi Parsley,” said Basil, flustered by her sudden appearance.  
“Oh big surprise, another one of your nerd songs,” said Thyme jokingly, ignoring Basil’s hello.  
“Hey, Basil,” Parsley replied. “For your information, Thyme, that song is loved by many people, not just nerds.”  
“Yeah, I think it’s a pretty good song,” Basil said as his face turned slightly pink. He always blushed whenever he was talking to Parsley.  
“Please get out of my room, Pars. I’m trying to focus,” Thyme said as leaned against his bed.  
“Fine,” Parsley said, rolling her eyes. “By the way Basil, I like that shirt. Stripes look good on you.”  
As Parsley left the room, Basil’s face turned as red as the stripes on his shirt. Thyme could tell he was only smiling because of the compliment he just received.  
“She’s so cute,” Basil said quietly.  
“Dude, I told you not to say things like that while I’m around. It makes it sound like you’re attracted to me too,” Thyme said.  
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Basil responded. “Are you ready to give the guitar another shot?”  
“I guess so,” Thyme said as he gently strummed the guitar strings.  
“Okay, do you remember how to do the A minor chord?”  
“Is it like this?”  
“No, that is… uh, that’s not a chord at all.”  
Thyme once again set his forehead on the edge of the guitar and laughed. This caused Basil to start laughing too.  
“You’ll play guitar eventually, Thyme,” Basil laughed. “But it may take a few more lessons.”  
“I think it’s going to take more than just a few lessons,” Thyme said with his head still laying on the guitar.  
“I know that. Now get your face off of my guitar. You’ll get your forehead grease all over Layla,” said Basil as he took the wooden guitar from Thyme’s grasp.  
“All over who?” Thyme asked, trying his best not to start laughing again.  
“Layla, the guitar.”  
“You named your guitar Layla?”  
“Yeah. So?”  
This caused Thyme to topple over with laughter. Basil’s pale face turned pink again as he ran his hands through his black hair.  
“It’s not really that funny,” he said, slightly embarrassed.  
“Sorry,” Thyme laughed. “I just didn’t expect your guitar to have a name.”  
“Lots of musicians name their instruments. It’s like how people name their vehicles,” Basil explained.  
“I find it strange when people do that,” Thyme said as he crinkled his nose.  
“I bet you five bucks that if Parsley ever got a yellow vehicle, she would refer to it as the ‘yellow submarine,’” Basil smiled.  
“Deal,” Thyme agreed.  
They both chucked as Basil strummed his guitar. Thyme knew Basil would probably win their bet, but he didn’t mind. Basil might forget by the time they get a car anyway. Thyme also knew he might have to share a car with his twin since vehicles are not cheap. He only hoped it wouldn’t be a Volkswagen van like Parsley wanted.


	5. Coffee Break

Basil poured yet another cup of hot coffee and mixed in the vanilla-flavored creamer as the tiny bell above the door chimed once again. As he turned to serve the customer at the counter, he saw her coming to stand in line: Parsley. She hadn’t come to the café in over a week, which was very uncommon for her, and Basil grew flustered as he saw the blonde, shaggy pixie cut and circular glasses approaching him.  
The customer he was serving went to sit at a table, and he could feel his cheeks burn as he said “P-Parsley. Hi.”  
She smiled. The same smile that made his heart race every time he saw it. Every. Time. “Hi Basil,” she said. “Sorry I haven’t come by much, I’ve been busy.”  
“Oh, uh, that’s alright,” Basil replied. “Should I get you the usual?”  
“That sounds great,” said Parsley.  
“One caramel macchiato, coming right up,” Basil said with a smile as he headed toward the coffee maker. He made Parsley smile too and his heart fluttered.  
“Thank you, good sir,” Parsley joked, as she took a seat at the bar to watch him work his magic.  
“So, where’s Thyme? It’s weird to see you without him. Usually you two are inseparable,” Basil hoped he didn’t sound as though he was complaining. Even though Thyme was his best friend, it was nice to have a bit of time with just Parsley.  
“Oh, he’s passed out at home. Our mom had him doing yard work all morning and he’s exhausted,” Parsley explained. “But lucky for me, I got to sit on the back porch and tell him what parts of the yard he missed while mowing.”  
Basil chuckled at that comment. Teasing Thyme had become a bit of a hobby for Parsley, and Thyme teased her just as much. He guessed it was just a sibling thing. Heaven knows he often found himself bickering with his younger brother, Oregano.  
“Here’s your--” As he turned around to hand Parsley her order, Basil struggled to get his words out properly. He even almost started speaking Japanese, his first language, before he finally said “coffee.”  
He had noticed that she was wearing his hoodie. His worn out, plum purple hoodie that he wore everywhere. He had been searching for it for a week, and now she was wearing it. She wore it better than he ever could. Gosh, she was adorable.  
“Is…is that my jacket?” he asked as Parsley sipped her coffee.  
“Hm? Oh! Right, sorry, I came to return it. You had left it at my house when you were teaching Thyme guitar,” Parsley explained as she slipped the hoodie off and handed it to him. “Sorry I was wearing it. It just seemed so soft and it’s getting chilly outside.”  
“No no, it’s fine,” Basil replied as he folded the hoodie and put it on a counter below the bar. “The autumn breeze makes it a little cold out. Besides, you, uh, you look cute in it”  
Parsley smiled as Basil’s cheeks flushed. He couldn’t believe he had managed to compliment her. That always took so much effort for him and he had always felt so nervous while doing so.  
“Really? That’s sweet of you to say,” said Parsley, cheeks turning a slight shade of pink as she took another sip of her coffee. Basil suddenly remembered how much confidence Parsley lacked (even though she doesn’t act like it) and he wondered if maybe his compliments would help her feel better about herself. He made a mental note to try and compliment her whenever he could.  
Parsley stayed at the Maneki Neko Café with Basil until she finished her coffee, and even a little while afterwards. When she finally determined it was time to go home, Basil let out a sigh as he watched her walk through the door. That girl was so amazing and she didn’t even know it. Maybe one day, in the near future, he could help her realize just how amazing she is.


	6. The Newsletter

Sage sighed as her father babbled on and on. He was over-explaining himself once again. He had such a bad habit of being verbose, but she guessed she didn’t have much room to speak. She often babbled too much as well.  
“…y quiere asegurarse de que el horno esté a la temperatura adecuada. Si lo hace demasiado calor, la comida podría quemar. Ah, y me dejó una bolsa de semillas en su habitación para su ave tan—“  
“Papá. Voy a estar bien,” Sage interrupted. “Sólo se ausenta por dos días.”  
Her father smiled and apologized. He just wanted to make sure she would be okay. As he picked up his suitcase with his one arm, he kissed Sage on the forehead and said goodbye.  
After watching her father drive away, she turned and headed for her room. As much as she loved her dad, she often looked forward to the times when he had business trips. She enjoyed having the house to herself for a while.  
As she approached the cage of her small, white baepsae bird, she took a handful of seeds from the bag and put it into the tiny food bowl. The bird fluttered its feathers with joy.  
“There you go, Suga. I know you must have been hungry. Your food bowl started to look pretty empty for a while there,” Sage said with a smile. She wondered if people considered it strange to talk to their pets like humans. Either way, she did not care.  
She pondered for a moment on what she should do with her spare time. Finally, she just decided to mess around on her laptop for a while.  
Sitting down on her floral-patterned bed, she opened her laptop and checked her email. She noticed she had received a newsletter from a town not far from Scarborough.  
“What on earth could this be?” she asked herself as she clicked on the email. As she read through the letter, it informed her that there is an event going on in the small town in a few weeks. “This sounds really interesting!”  
Grabbing her phone from the charger, she decided to tell her friends about the event. She called the twins first, figuring that Parsley would want to be the one to tell Rosemary.  
The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Was Parsley still asleep? Finally, a groggy voice answered the phone.  
“Hello?”  
“Parsley! I have something to tell you about. It is about a newsletter I received from my email,” Sage explained.  
“Sage, do you have any idea how early it is?” Parsley asked. She sounded as though she had just woken up.  
“It is ten thirty in the morning,” replied Sage.  
“What?!” Parsley exclaimed, then Sage heard a loud thud. “I never sleep this late!”  
“Eh…are you okay?” Sage asked.  
“Yes. I just fell off my bed. Anyway, what where you calling me for? Some newsletter?”  
“Yes, I received it this morning,” Sage started. “It is for a fair nor far outside of Scarborough. It sounds really fun! It also sounds a little southern. It will have a ferris wheel, and a corn maze, and a…uh…what is the English word for a ‘cortacésped?’”  
“You mean a lawn mower?” answered Parsley.  
“Yes! They will have an event where you race lawn mowers! We should go to this,” Sage said, happily.  
Parsley chuckled at Sage’s excitement. “That sounds good to me. What day is it?”  
“It is on the tenth of October.”  
“Oh cool, that’s not long after the day that we all go swimming at Basil’s house,” Parsley said, sounding particularly happy at the mention of Basil.  
Sage smirked. “Yes, I’m sure you are very happy to swim with your boyfriend. Do you want to bring him to the fair as well?”  
“He is not my…” Parsley sighed. “Whatever it’s too early for this. But, yes, I’ll ask Basil if he wants to come along with us.”  
Sage laughed at Parsley’s surrender. “Sounds good then. We can plan it out once the date gets closer.”  
“Alright,” said Parsley. “For now, I’m going to make some coffee.”  
“Okay. Well, I will see you later,” replied Sage.  
After they said goodbye, Sage put the phone down and smiled. She enjoyed having all of her friends get together for an event like this. She couldn’t wait for that day to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English to Spanish Translations (I am still new at Spanish so hopefully it is somewhat correct)
> 
> Sage's dad- "... and you want to make sure the oven is at the right temperature. If it is too hot, the food could burn. Oh, and I left a bag of seeds in your room for your bird so- "
> 
> Sage- "Dad. I'll be fine" Sage interrupted. "You will only be gone for two days."


	7. Dirty Maggie May

As Rosemary shoved a textbook into her locker, Parsley stood beside her with a smile. They were both excited for their next class. Art class was the one class where they didn’t feel any stress. Rosemary always found it very therapeutic to color things, and Parsley loved creating bowls or coffee cups on the pottery wheel.  
Rosemary had always preferred 2D art over 3D art. She didn’t have enough patience or upper arm strength to deal with a pottery wheel. Still, she enjoyed seeing Parsley’s creations once they came out of the kiln.  
The thing Rosemary loved most about art class, though, was that it was the one class she had with all of her friends (well, except Sage but that is because she graduated last year). She always enjoyed seeing Thyme sketch out images with his pens. She smiled at the thought. He always looked so attractive when he was focused on something.  
Pushing her curly, vibrant red hair behind her ears, Rosemary turned to Parsley and said “I like yer tye dye shirt.”  
“Thanks, I made it myself,” replied Parsley. “I could tye dye your baseball tee for you. It’s blank, after all.”  
Rosemary chuckled and inspected her baseball-style tee shirt. It had a white torso and black sleeves that went to her elbows. “I’ll think abou’ it,” she responded.  
As she shut her locker, two of the girls that had bullied Parsley in previous school years walked by.  
“There’s that other Arkwright twin,” said one of the girls, projecting her voice so that everyone could hear her. “Look at her, she looks like such a boy,”  
“Yeah,” agreed the other, with a horribly fake laugh. “She’s the most flat-chested girl I’ve ever seen.”  
When Rosemary looked back at Parsley, her smiled had vanished and her light green eyes were glued to the ground. She looked deeply upset.  
“Don’ listen to ‘em, Pars. They’re just jealous,” said Rosemary with a quiet, sympathetic voice.  
“Why can’t people just like me for who I am? Why do my looks have to matter?” asked Parsley, her gaze refusing to come up from the floor. “How am I ever going to find someone who loves me?”  
Rosemary stared at her, lost for words. She desperately wanted to tell her about Basil and his huge crush on her. She wanted to tell her that, even though her group of friends was small, everyone loved her for who she is. She wanted to tell her that God made her the way He wanted and God’s vision is perfect, so that made her perfect. But, instead, all that came out of her mouth was “I love ye for who ye are.”  
Parsley managed to give a half smile and said “Thank you, Rosemary.”  
“Don’ mention it. Now, let’s get to art class,” Rosemary replied, trying to sound happy and positive.  
As they walked along the corridor, Rosemary felt like hitting those two girls with her skateboard. She knew who they were. She had classes with both of them. Maggie and May. Those two girls thought they were such amazing people, but in reality they were crude and jealous.  
She knew they envied Parsley because of the way they looked at her and talked about her. They envied that she had a happy relationship with her family and friends. They envied that one of the most attractive boys in school was in love with her (although, in Rosemary’s opinion, Basil was nowhere near as attractive as Thyme). They envied that her body shape was pear-like and the slope of her hips were nearly perfect.  
Rosemary was close letting her anger consume her when Thyme and Basil had finally met up with them. She fidgeted with the leather jacket wrapped around her waist and let out a long sigh as both of the boys gave Parsley a concerned look.  
“Pars? Are you alright?” Thyme asked, sounding as though he already knew the answer.  
Parsley nodded. Her face looked red.  
Wait a minute. Thought Rosemary. She took a closer look at her friend, and she could see tears behind her circular glasses. Oh no. Had she been crying this whole time? Rosemary had been too lost in thought to notice.  
She wrapped her arms around Parsley, feeling awful about not noticing her tears until now. She wished Sage was here. Sage would have told those girls off right away, not caring who heard her or how foolish she may have looked.  
“What happened?” asked Basil, a frown forming on his face.  
When Parsley didn’t answer, Rosemary said “Those girls were talkin’ abou’ her again.”  
“Again?! Jeez, I’ve talked to them about this before! I tell them not to mess with my sister, but what do they do?! Ignore me! I hate it when they mess with her!” Thyme looked as though he was about to explode as he went off on his tangent.  
When Rosemary released Parsley, Basil put a hand on her shoulder and said “Don’t listen to them, Parsley. They’re just jealous because you’re beautiful and they’re not.” His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. “And I mean that with both your looks, and your personality.”  
Rosemary felt proud of Basil for finally complimenting her. She was happy to see that he had succeeded in making Parsley smile.  
“Come on, Parsley. Let’s head to class,” said Thyme, putting an arm around his sister. “You too, Rosemary.”  
Rosemary blushed as Thyme put his other arm around her. The sleeve of his jade green sweater felt soft as it brushed against her neck. As she glanced over, she saw Parsley grab Basil’s hand. His cheeks turned bright red.  
“You have guitar class next, right Basil?” asked Parsley.  
Basil stared at her hand as he responded “Uh, y-yeah I do.”  
“You can walk with us then,” Parsley smiled. “The guitar room is close to the art room.”  
As they walked toward their next class, Rosemary looked up and saw Thyme smirking at Basil. Basil responded with a playful glare. She always admired when two friends could read each other’s thoughts just by looking at each other. She often did the same thing with Parsley.  
“Basil, are ye ever goin’ to get rid of tha’ worn out hoodie?” Rosemary teased.  
“No way,” Basil responded. “I’m keeping this thing until the only thing left of it is a piece of fabric.”


	8. In the Land of Submarines

Thyme was sprawled out on his bed with his eyes closed as he sang along to the music that played through his earbuds. This was the only musical talent he had discovered about himself so far: singing.  
“My friend’s got a girlfriend and he hates that bi—“  
“Thyme?”  
Opening his eyes, Thyme peered to his right and saw his twin sister standing in the doorway of his bedroom. She was wearing her favorite purple and green flannel and carrying her small, pink teacup pig in her hands.  
“Yeah?” Thyme moaned.  
“Mom and dad want us outside,” Parsley responded. “They said to meet them in the driveway.”  
“What for?” asked Thyme curiously.  
“I don’t know. They won’t tell me,” Parsley answered.  
Thyme sat up, turned his music off, and placed his rectangular glasses over his eyes. Something told him their parents had a surprise for the both of them. Otherwise, they would have told Parsley what was going on. But what kind of surprise would be in the driveway? A car? No, that was too expensive and he knew it.  
Before heading outside, Thyme considered trying to tame his shaggy blonde hair. Then again, he was still wearing his houndstooth-patterned pajama pants and he didn’t really care if his neighbors saw him like that. Besides, his hair was far less shaggy then Parsley’s.  
“Are you going to put shoes on?” Thyme asked, looking down at his sister’s polka-dot socks.  
“Are you going to put less-hideous pants on?” Parsley responded, setting her pig on the floor.  
Thyme chuckled and playfully punched her in the shoulder. “Shut up,” he teased.  
Once the twins were outside, they walked down the short cement path that led to the driveway. Their parents were standing next to their small green car, each with a smile on their pale faces. Their dad, Thyme noticed, was fidgeting with the tiny remote that controlled the garage’s door and lights.  
“So, what did you two want us out here for?” asked Parsley. “Are we going somewhere?”  
“No, no, we’re not going anywhere,” said their mother, Peony, as she smiled and twirled her long, pale hair around her finger. Their parents always had such a contrast in blonde hair. While their mother’s was pale, their father’s was nearly brown.  
“Oh no, are we going to do yard work?” Thyme asked, almost dreading the answer.  
Their father chuckled, still fidgeting with the garage remote. “No, you’re not doing yard work…not today, at least.”  
Thyme and Parsley exchanged looks and said simultaneously “We give up.”  
“We have a surprise for you,” their mother said, her pale blue eyes twinkling as she spoke. “Open the garage, Barberton.”  
As the garage door lifted upwards, Thyme heard his sister gasp. A big, sunshine yellow, 1960’s Volkswagen Bus sat directly in front of them. It was so clean and shiny, it almost looked brand new. Looking over, Thyme saw that Parsley had a huge smile on her face and her green eyes looked brighter than ever.  
“Your father and I have been talking it over and, well, you two are seventeen now years old now and we can’t drive you around forever. So, we decided to save up some money to buy you two a car,” Peony smiled.  
“Wait, this van is ours?!” Parsley said excitedly.  
“Yes it is. And your mother and I will pay it off, as long as you two pay for the gas and continue to do well in school,” their father responded.  
“Oh my gosh! Thank you so much, I can’t believe this!” Parsley hugged her parents, then darted towards the van to check out the inside.   
“So, uh, what made you two decide to get the vehicle that Parsley wanted?” Thyme asked. “I-I’m not saying I’m not thankful for it or anything, because I am. I’m just, you know, curious.”  
“Well, son, the vehicle you want is ridiculously expensive,” responded their father.  
“Barb!” Peony exclaimed. “That’s not the only reason. You see, a friend of ours offered the Volkswagen to us for a cheap price, and we couldn’t pass up the offer. Also, we knew this vehicle would fit your group of friends.”  
“Oh yeah, that’s true,” Thyme agreed.  
“Besides, maybe now you’ll stop playing that hooligan music in our car.”  
“Barb!”  
“It’s alright, mom. Dad just doesn’t appreciate the 90’s,” Thyme teased.  
Looking at the yellow vehicle once again, Thyme saw how happy his sister was as she inspected each little bit of it. She told him it has three rows of seats, and the ability to fit eight people. As his sister babbled on and on, Thyme began to smile. So what if this wasn’t his ideal car? If it made Parsley this happy, then it couldn’t be so bad.  
“I’m going to call it the Yellow Submarine!” Parsley exclaimed, and Thyme’s smile vanished. He moaned, then took his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed a number.  
“Basil?” said Thyme. “Yeah, uh, remember that bet we had? Well, I owe you five bucks.”


	9. Pool Party Pt. 1

Basil awoke with a jolt as his cellphone’s ringtone blared in his ear. He must have passed out while reading last night. Although he hated using his cellphone as a book, he had run out of actual paperback books to read and he felt as though he had no other choice. He didn’t know when he would next be able to go to the library.  
As he checked his phone, he saw it was Thyme who was calling. “Hello?” Basil said in a slightly raspy voice. He hated the way he sounded first thing in the morning.  
“Why would you throw a pool party in October?! It’s freezing cold outside!” Thyme exclaimed. “You’re not very good at planning these sort of things.”  
Basil sat up, rubbed his brown eyes, stretched, and ran a hand through his pitch black hair. He was not surprised about his best friend acting this way. Thyme hated the cold.  
“Look dude, I’m not the one who planned this. I say one thing about my new house having a pool and suddenly the girls are insisting I have a pool party,” Basil explained. “Besides, the weather will be warmer later.”  
“Yeah, yeah, except I’m sure the water will be like ice. Anyway, Parsley and I are headed to your house right now,” said Thyme.  
Basil felt his heart begin to race and soon as Thyme said Parsley’s name. They can’t be headed here now! It is so early!  
“Wait what?! But I still need to shower, and I don’t even have a shirt on yet, and I need to prepare and—“ Basil paused as soon as he noticed Thyme was laughing.  
“I’m just kidding,” said Thyme, trying to stifle his laughter. “We haven’t even gotten dressed yet. Parsley is still drinking her coffee.”  
Letting out a deep breath, Basil stood up and began digging through his dresser drawers. He hoped he remembered where he put his swim shorts. “Ok,” he said. “Well, I need to start getting ready so I will see you later.”  
Later, after showering and preparing for his guests, he heard his doorbell ring. He looked at the clock on the oven: 12:30pm. Whoever was here, they were right on time. Opening the front door, the first thing he saw was curly, vibrant red hair. “Hello Rosemary,” Basil said politely. Rosemary was wearing a pale green sundress, which was the first time he had seen her wear a dress at all.  
“’ello Basil,” Rosemary smiled. “I ‘ope we are no’ too early. I go’ a ride from Sage an’ ye kno’ how she is abou’ timin’”   
Rosemary gestured towards Sage, who was pulling pool floats out of the back seat of her tiny black car. Her incredibly long brown hair was pulled back in a high ponytail and she wore what appeared to be a dress that is meant for covering up swimsuits. One of the floats, Basil noticed, was designed to look like a giant donut and that made him laugh.  
“No, you’re right on time,” Basil said, and suddenly he felt something wrap around his right leg. He looked down to see Rosemary’s little sister, Lavender, hugging his leg and staring up at him. He found it interesting how her red hair was far less vibrant than her older sister’s.  
“Basil!” Lavender exclaimed. “Where is Oregano?”  
“Oh!” Basil said, smacking his forehead with his palm. He had forgotten that Lavender had come to see his little brother. “He’s in his room. I forgot to wake him up, sorry.”  
“Tha’s okay! I’ll do it,” responded Lavender, then she quickly ran into the house to find her best friend.  
“Lavender, it’s rude to jus’ run into a person’s house withou’ permission!” Rosemary exclaimed while calling after her little sister. Basil assured her it was alright, and once Sage was done unpacking her car they all went inside.  
As they waited for the twins to arrive, Rosemary and Sage sat at the kitchen counter while Basil made them some hot tea and coffee to drink. After working at the café for years, this came naturally to him. He enjoyed making food and drinks for people.  
“So Basil,” Sage said as she twisted her long curly hair around her finger. “When are you going to ask Parsley on a date?”  
Basil’s eyes widened and his cheeks began to burn as he fumbled with the cup he was holding, nearly dropping it on the floor. “W-what?”  
“Sage, ye can’t just suddenly ask people tha’ question,” Rosemary said. “You ‘ave to be subtle abou’ it.”  
“I have tried being subtle about it, but he does not seem to get the hint,” Sage explained as she rolled her eyes. “Anyway, are you going to ask Parsley out or what?”  
“Uh...” Basil felt a sense of relief wash over him as the doorbell rang once again. He rushed to answer it, and when he opened the door it was not the blonde twins who caught his eye, but the big yellow VW bus that was sitting in his driveway.  
“Do you see our new van?” Parsley smiled, her green eyes lighting up behind her big circular glasses. She was wearing a Simon & Garfunkel t-shirt and jean shorts. Thyme was wearing a Good Charlotte t-shirt and his swim shorts which were covered in flame designs.  
“How could I miss it?” Basil replied with a smile as he gestured for them to enter his house. After everyone had a few snacks and drinks, they were ready to start swimming.  
After everyone hurried outside, Oregano and Lavender were the first to jump in the pool. Sage called after them as she threw all of the pool floats in the water. She had taken off her dress to reveal a pastel pink swimsuit that had a bow on the top piece. Rosemary’s swimsuit (to nobody’s surprise) was black with two white stripes on the bottom. Thyme and Basil figured they should take their shirts off at that point.  
Parsley’s swimsuit ended up being a strapless mint green two-piece. Basil felt his face flush when he saw her. She looked beautiful. Her body shape was tall and thin, but that did not seem to prevent her from having a noticeable curve at her hips. Her legs could make models jealous and her pale skin complimented everything about her.  
Basil had such a hard time understanding the girls who bullied her. She didn’t look like a boy at all and the “flat chest” they would always talk about was untrue. She had a noticeable shape there as well, they were just small and often covered up by larger shirts. But Basil never cared. Parsley looked amazing no matter what. When he saw her smiling and playing with his little brother in the pool, he smiled too.  
Thyme would always talk about how Basil calling Parsley cute was “like him calling Thyme cute too” but he was wrong. Although you don’t have to look twice to know Parsley and Thyme are twins, there are certain facial features that differ from each other. Parsley’s eyes and lips were a bit more feminine in a way Basil could not explain. She had one eye that squinted just the slightest bit more than the other when she smiled. She also had slightly crooked teeth, which Basil found adorable.  
Thyme did not have these features. His teeth were perfectly placed and his jawline seemed the slightest bit more masculine than hers. He was also taller than her, which confused Basil. Shouldn’t twins be the same height? Maybe it is a gender thing or a genetics thing.  
“Dude, stop checking out my sister,” Thyme said, nudging his best friend’s side with his elbow. He had made sure Parsley was not close enough to hear them.  
“W-what?!” Basil exclaimed as his face turned red. “I-I’m not checking her out! I was just admiring her looks…”  
“Suuurreee,” Thyme teased, sounding as though he was in disbelief. His attention was then taken away by Rosemary calling his name.  
“Why don’ ye get in the pool already?” Rosemary asked.  
“No way, the water is freezing!” Thyme exclaimed.  
“Wimp!” Sage teased as the other girls booed at him.  
“It’s not even that cold,” Parsley said as she swam closer to them. Thyme took a step back as she approached the edge.  
Basil placed a hand on Thyme’s back. “Come on, Thyme. Get in the water!” he said as he pushed Thyme into the pool. Everyone began to laugh and when Thyme swam back up, his glasses had fallen off of his face and sunk to the bottom of the pool.  
“My glasses!” Thyme exclaimed.  
“See? That’s why you shouldn’t wear glasses in the pool,” Parsley joked, and Thyme sighed as he swam back underwater to grab them.  
“Your turn, Basil!” Sage said from across the pool. She and Rosemary were relaxing on the cement staircase while Oregano pushed Lavender around in the donut float.  
Suddenly, Basil felt a pair of hands wrap around his ankle. He looked down and saw Parsley a split second before he plunged into the water. When he reached the surface a few seconds later, everyone was laughing again. He couldn’t help but laugh along with them. He enjoyed having his friends over like this, even if they did drag him into freezing cold water.


	10. Pool Party Pt. 2

Parsley bopped her head and sang along to the Beatle’s songs that were playing on her van’s radio as she drove down the street towards Basil’s house. She couldn’t wait to submerge herself in a swimming pool one last time before winter. Her brother, however, felt a little differently. He knew the pool water would be very cold, which made him unhappy and a little hesitant to come.  
“’Oooh, and I suddenly see you. Oooh! Did I tell you I need you? Every single day of my liiife!’”  
“Parsley, do you really have to sing along to every song?”  
“’Got to get you into my life!’”  
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Thyme sighed as he saw his best friend’s house come into view. As they pulled into the driveway and grabbed their bags out of the yellow Volkswagen, Thyme had begun to complain about Parsley’s music once again.  
“Look, when you finally decide to drive the Submarine then you can play your music,” Parsley explained. “But until then, you get to hear The Beatles and Paul Simon all day long.”  
“Fine, I guess that’s fair enough,” Thyme admitted as he rang the doorbell. They heard the sound of hurried footsteps, then Basil answered the door wearing a Metroid t-shirt and blue plaid swim shorts. His brown eyes immediately darted towards the new van, which made Parsley smile.  
“Do you see our new van?” she smiled.  
“How could I miss it?” Basil smiled, then gestured for the twins to enter the house.  
After eating snacks and talking with everyone, it wasn’t long before the group was ready to jump in the pool. The younger kids, Oregano and Lavender, were the first to jump in. Sage had called after them while throwing about ten pool floats in the water. Most of them seemed to be foam noodles or beach balls, but the kid’s favorite one was the inner tube that was designed to look like a donut.  
Sage was wearing her pastel pink swimsuit that had the bow on top, while Rosemary was wearing her black and white two piece that the girls helped her pick out at the store. At first, Parsley was a little hesitant about taking off her shirt and shorts. She remembered all of the things those girls had said to her at school about her body shape, which made her feel a little insecure. Then again, why should she care what those girls think? She was around friends who loved her no matter what.  
Taking off her Simon and Garfunkel t-shirt and jean shorts, she revealed the strapless mint green two piece that Rosemary helped her pick out. After jumping in the pool, Rosemary immediately complimented her.  
“Parsley, tha’ swimsuit looks so cute on ye!” Rosemary smiled.  
“Yeah, that color really suits you!” Sage said. Parsley couldn’t help but smile at this point.  
As she looked over at the porch that was connected the poolside area, she saw Thyme and Basil talking with each other. They had both taken their shirts off and were now only wearing their swim shorts. Parsley’s heart skipped a beat. She had never noticed how attractive Basil really was. Sure, she had always found him kind of cute but she had never stopped to really look at him.  
He had the type of muscles that were slightly defined. They were not too noticeable but they definitely were not nonexistent either. Apparently his karate classes really payed off. He was so tall and thin Parsley felt as though she could wrap her arms around his torso and still be able to touch her own shoulders. His eyes were a beautiful chocolate brown and his hair was dark as the night sky. No wonder so many girls swooned over him at school.  
Parsley felt her heart begin to race as an indescribable yet happy feeling arose in her gut. Was it possible that she did have a crush on Basil? No, that’s ridiculous. Basil was a friend. An attractive, charming friend. Then again, she always gets this weird feeling when Basil is around. Sage had always asked Parsley if she had a crush on him, but Parsley always denied it. Although, it was very possible she was lying to herself. But even if she did have a crush on Basil, what would a boy like him want with a girl like her?  
Her thoughts were interrupted when the younger Hashimoto, Oregano, asked for her help. “Can you please put lavender in the donut? I wanna push her around,” Oregano asked, his brown eyes lighting up when Parsley agreed to help.  
Rosemary then called for Thyme to get in the water, which Thyme quickly declined because “the water was freezing cold.” The girls continued to tease him by calling him a wimp, then Parsley had an idea to drag one of the boys in by the ankle. As she swam towards them, however, Thyme took a step back. He knew exactly what his twin was planning to do.  
“Come on, Thyme,” Basil said, placing a hand on his back. “Get in the water!”  
Thyme was then pushed into the pool, and everyone began to laugh as he swam back towards the surface. “My glasses!” he exclaimed as he reached the top.  
“See? That’s why you shouldn’t wear glasses in the pool,” Parsley joked as Thyme swam underwater again to grab his rectangular glasses.  
“Your turn, Basil!” Sage said as she and Rosemary relaxed on the cement staircase. Before Basil could answer, Parsley grabbed his ankle and pulled him in the water, causing a big splash and what seemed like a fun, wavy ride for the kids.  
“Hey!” Basil exclaimed as he reached the surface, then he started a splashing war between him and Parsley. Eventually everyone else joined in as well and all of the concrete surrounding of the pool was soaked in water.  
A little while later, the kids got out of the pool so they could eat and the group was relaxing in the water. Everyone was still a little bit giggly from all of the splashing.  
“Hey, where is the third beach ball I brought?” asked Sage.  
“I’m sitting on it,” Thyme responded.  
“Why are you sitting on it?” Rosemary asked.  
“I’m trying to balan-WOAH!” Thyme splashed into the water as the colorful beach ball popped up beside him.  
“Such an intelligent boy,” said Parsley sarcastically.  
When evening arrived, everyone had already changed out of their swimsuits and into a dry pair of clothes. Everyone was hanging out in Basil’s kitchen talking with one another, eating, drinking coffee or tea, and having a nice time. Parsley was sitting on one of the barstools near the counter with a cup of coffee in her hand. She didn’t realize how lost in her own thoughts she was until Rosemary came and sat with her.  
“Hey Pars, are ye alrigh’?” she asked.  
“Yeah,” Parsley responded. “Yeah, I just…Can I tell you something?”  
“Of course, anythin’.”  
“I, uh, I think I have a crush on Basil.”  
Parsley was not surprised when Rosemary’s blue eyes widened and her jaw dropped.


	11. Proof of Love

After the twins had left Basil’s house, Sage had packed up her tiny car and was almost ready to leave with Rosemary until Basil stopped them at the door. He asked to have a word with Rosemary before they left, and she agreed. Sage went to put Lavender, who was already passed out, in the car while Rosemary stayed behind.  
“So wha’ do ye need, Basil?” Rosemary asked.  
“Well I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about Parsley,” Basil said, his cheeks turning slightly red.  
“What abou’ Parsley?”  
“Well…okay here it goes,” Basil started. “I really do want to ask her out on a date like Sage keeps pushing me to do. But I’m really nervous! I don’t even know how to ask her on a date, and once I do then what if she says no? I don’t want to make things awkward between us and—“  
“Basil, calm down okay?” Rosemary interrupted. “Yer thinkin’ way too much abou’ this.”  
“Well, I just figured that since you are her best friend maybe you could help me out a little?” Basil asked, shyly. “If you don’t mind?”  
“Of course,” Rosemary smiled. “Wha’ do you need?”  
“Well I…I guess I just want a little bit of advice about how to go about asking her out.”  
“Well first of all, you ‘ave got to stop thinkin’ so much abou’ this or else you will freak yourself out,” Rosemary explained.  
“Yeah, that’s true,” Basil agreed.  
“I don’ think anythin’ could ever be awkward between you two. Yer her best friend too. She talks abou’ ye often,” Rosemary said with a smile.  
“She does?” Basil asked as his face turned an even brighter shade of red.  
“Of course,” Rosemary assured him. “Besides, if ye were to ask her ou’, I don’ think she would ever say no in a million years.”  
“How do you know that?” Basil asked, curiously.  
“I’m her best friend. I know these things,” Rosemary winked as she headed towards the door. “Anyway, I ‘ave to get home before mum freaks ou’ and ye know how tha’ is.”  
“But wait, how should I ask her out? When would be the right time?” asked Basil.  
Before closing the front door, Rosemary turned around and said “The time will come, and ye will just know wha’ to say and when to say it.”  
Once Basil was finally alone, he felt his heart flutter. He was going to ask out Parsley and the chance of her saying yes was even bigger than he hoped. He did a little happy dance as he began to clean the kitchen.


	12. The Maize Maze

As the yellow Volkswagen van made its way around another corner, the gentle voice of Paul Simon quietly played from the radio. The group was headed to the fair they had found out about a few weeks ago. They all chatted excitedly during the ride there.  
The twins were in the front row of the van and Parsley was the driver. Then there was Basil, Rosemary, and Sage in the middle row, and Oregano and Lavender were in the back row. Basil had brought his handheld video game so he could play along with the kids and keep them entertained. It was not exactly ideal for Rosemary to bring her little sister along, but her mother insisted. Basil decided to take mercy on her and bring Oregano along too so the kids could entertain each other.  
Both of the children had taken a liking to Sage, but she didn’t mind. She had always been good with children.  
“You should let me put music on the radio, Pars,” Sage said, leaning forward to rest her arms on the back of the seat.  
“No way,” said the twins simultaneously.  
“What? Why not?”  
“Because then you’ll be playing your Korean Pop music,” Parsley and Thyme said simultaneously again. Sage seemed to be the only one who enjoyed Kpop.  
“Do you guys think that is the only thing I listen to?”  
“It seems to be ninety-five percent of what you listen to.”  
“Ugh, fine” Sage sighed, then leaned back into her seat. She should have expected this to happen anyway.  
“We should put on some grunge music,” Rosemary suggested, a slightly mischievous smile growing on her face. Something told Sage that she knew a certain someone would agree with her. “What do ye think, Thyme?”  
“I think that’s a great idea,” Thyme agreed, proving Sage’s theory right.  
“Oh, well it’s too bad that you’re not driving, Thyme, because I refuse to put on grunge music,” Parsley said in a bittersweet voice.   
“Oh come on Parsley! Just because you’re the driver doesn’t mean you get to control the music.”  
“I think someone would disagree with that, right Basil?” asked Parsley. Instead of responding, Basil simply shrunk behind his video game.  
“There’s an idea,” said Thyme, trying his best to win this argument. “Why don’t we ask Basil what he wants to listen to?”  
“Uhhh,” Basil stuttered as he shrunk down a little more. “I’m okay with just about anything.”  
“So you would be okay with Kpop?” Sage asked.  
“Anything but that,” Basil responded.  
That simple comment then caused an argument of “you guys never appreciate my music” and “I’m not playing that in my van.” This continued for about five minutes until Oregano spoke up and said “Why don’t you guys just play that Queen band you always talk about?”  
This was followed by a shocked silence. Why didn’t they think of that before? This eleven-year-old boy made a car full of teenagers look like fools.  
“He has a point,” Thyme admitted. “That does seem to be the one band we can all agree on.”  
“Queen it is, then,” said Parsley as she inserted Queen’s greatest hits CD into the radio.  
When they finally reached their destination, they sat in the van for a moment to take in the scenery. There were multiple colorful booths meant for games such as balloon popping or squirting a little plastic figure with a water gun. There were all sorts of food trucks selling fried foods that they didn’t even know could be fried. The big Ferris Wheel towered above everything else with rainbow seats and lights on the side for when it became nighttime. Looking over to the side, they saw the corn maze a couple of feet away with stalks of corn towering far over their heads. There was a wooden sign outside of it with the words “Maize maze” painted on it.  
“Well wha’ are we waitin’ for?” Lavender asked as she tugged on the sleeve of her sister’s Green Day shirt. Everyone then proceeded to climb out of the van and entered the fair.  
As soon as they paid for admission and walked through the gates, Sage was immediately dragged off by Oregano and Lavender, her navy blue and white striped dress flowing with the little bit of wind that had started up. She was glad she wore leggings because she could tell it was already getting chilly outside.  
The rest of the group followed behind her, and it was only then that she paid attention to what they were all wearing. Parsley was wearing her green and purple flannel with a purple shirt underneath and long jeans (boy did Sage wish she was wearing pants right about now). Rosemary was walking next to her, wearing a black Green Day shirt with a red long sleeve shirt underneath. Thyme was wearing a long sleeve teal and white flannel which was buttoned up for once, and Basil was (of course) wearing his purple hoodie and a red and gray striped shirt underneath.  
“Let’s go play the balloon popping game!” Oregano exclaimed excitedly as he took both Lavender and Sage’s hand and headed off to the booth.  
“Eh, I guess I will catch up with you guys later?” Sage shouted behind her as Rosemary and Parsley walked one way while Thyme and Basil walked another.  
Sage entertained the young ones for a while by taking them to various games and buying them snacks to eat. After about two hours or so, a man on a megaphone announced that the Maize Maze was about to begin and anyone who wanted to participate should start heading there now. Oregano and Lavender begged Sage to let them participate, and Sage agreed to take them there.  
Upon arrival at the front of the Maize Maze, she noticed that the rest of the group was standing in the front waiting for it to start.  
“Are you ready, Oregano?” Basil asked his brother, and Oregano responded by repeating the word “yes” and jumping up and down. Sage started to think that maybe she had let the kids eat a little too much sugar.  
The announcer then called for their attention. “Attention! Attention! Alright, now the Maize Maze is about to begin but first I gotta tell ya’ll a little somethin’. First I wanna tel ya’ll to please respect our corn. We grow it ourselves and we don’t want anything bad to happen to it.”  
“What are we going to do? Eat it?” Thyme joked, and Rosemary laughed.  
“Secondly,” said the announcer. “I want to let ya’ll know that this maze is a little bit of a competition. Whoever makes it out of the Maize Maze first will receive a special prize. Now, you may begin.”  
Before the announcer could finish his sentence, Oregano and Lavender darted into the maze. Basil and Rosemary called after them and began to chase them down, but Sage held out a hand to stop them.  
“Wait,” she said, suddenly having an amazing idea. “I will go after the kids. You two should go with our friends.”  
Sage winked and she could tell by Rosemary’s mischievous facial expression that she knew what her friend was thinking. Basil did not seem to get the hint, but that did not matter. Rosemary would take care of everything.  
As Sage went after the kids, Rosemary turned to the rest of the group. “Maybe we shou’ split up into two groups to make this more fun,” she suggested.  
“That sounds like it would be fun,” Parsley smiled.  
“Yeah, I enjoy a little challenge,” Thyme agreed.  
“I’m up for it if you guys are,” said Basil.  
“Excellent,” Rosemary smiled. “Do ye want te be partners with me, Thyme?”  
Rosemary’s big blue eyes sparkled, which caused Thyme to blush just a little bit. “Sure, I’d love to.”  
“I guess that puts you and I together,” Parsley said as she smiled at Basil.  
“Yeah, it does,” Basil said happily, and for once his face did not turn pink.  
“Well, let’s go then,” Parsley said as she linked arms with Basil. At that point, Basil’s face turned very pink.  
Parsley and Basil headed off towards the path on the left, while Thyme and Rosemary headed off towards the path on the right. Rosemary turned around and gave Basil a thumbs up before they vanished behind the stalks of corn. He can do this, Rosemary thought to herself. I know he can.


	13. She'll Be a True Love of Mine

Parsley and Basil had been walking through the large maze for about twenty minutes, talking and laughing the whole time. Although it was not hard for Basil to make Parsley laugh, he still took pride in the fact that he was able to do it so easily. They had unhooked their arms not long after they began walking, and Basil tried not to take it too personally. Next thing they knew they came across a fork in the road.  
After a short, thoughtful silence Parsley said “I think we should go to the right.”  
“What makes you say that?”  
“I don’t know. I’m basing my decisions off of my instincts.”  
“Well okay, but I hope your instincts are correct.”  
As the pair walked down the path on the right, Basil thought about the thumbs up that Rosemary had given him before everyone left each other. That simple hand gesture had been on his mind ever since then. What did it mean? Was that Rosemary’s way of letting him know that this was the time to ask out Parsley? What if she was wrong and this wasn’t the right time? What if there was never going to be a right time?  
He had to stop himself from thinking about it before the thoughts got any worse. Luckily he was distracted by Parsley leading them around another corner. Once they turned the corner, however, he was smacked in the face by a cob of corn that was sticking out a little too far from the stalk.  
“Ouch!” he yelped, rubbing his nose with the sleeve of his purple hoodie.  
“Are you okay?” Parsley asked, putting a hand on his arm while trying to stifle a laugh.  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” said Basil as he laughed at himself. Parsley began laughing as well, then stopped and put a hand on his right cheek. Basil felt his face flush at her touch.  
“The corn seemed to hit your cheek too. It’s looks like a bruise is starting to form,” said Parsley with a concerned voice.  
“Oh, uh, that’s alright. I bruise really easily,” Basil responded.  
“I sure hope it’s alright,” said Parsley, putting her hand back in her pant pocket.  
“It’s just a bruise. It’s no big deal,” Basil smiled, then they continued walking. Parsley was always so sweet, and he admired that so much. Maybe he really should ask her out now. He remembered the advice Rosemary had given him at the pool party last weekend. Maybe she was right. Even if Parsley said no, at least he would still have her as a best friend. Well, he thought to himself. I guess this is one of the best chances I have since it’s just the two of us.  
“Uh, Parsley? There is something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now,” Basil said nervously, his heart starting to race.  
“What is it?” Parsley asked as she looked at him with those vibrant green eyes that made him melt.  
“Well, I was just wondering,” Basil’s pale face was burning now and his voice was starting to shake. He could feel his hands start to sweat inside his hoodie’s pockets and he felt as though his heart was about to fly out of his chest. “Would you like to go on a date with me sometime?”  
To his relief, the words came out smoother than he thought they would. He noticed Parsley’s eyes widen for a moment, then relax again. “A date?” she asked.  
“Y-you don’t have to say yes; I mean I don’t want you to feel pressure or any— “  
“Sure, I’ll go on a date with you.”  
Basil then stopped his babbling. “You will?”  
“Yeah, it sounds like fun,” Parsley smiled, and Basil’s heart fluttered.  
“Okay, uh, I guess we can work out the details later then?”  
“Sounds like a plan.”  
Suddenly, every nervous feeling in Basil’s body vanished. He had done it. He had asked Parsley Arkwright out on a date. And she said yes! He felt proud of himself. He even felt his confidence rise a little. Then, he felt something attach itself to his arm. As he looked over, he saw that Parsley had linked her arm in his again. This made him smile even more…and then Parsley shivered.  
“Are you cold?” he asked.  
“Pssh, no,” said Parsley, trying to play it off cool. Her attempt failed when she sneezed right afterwards.  
Basil looked at the sky. Evening was just around the corner and it was bound to get even colder outside. “Here,” he said, starting to take off his hoodie.  
“Basil, I’m fine. Really. It’s just allergies,” Parsley explained.  
“That doesn’t matter. It’s just going to get colder out and you don’t have a jacket.”  
“But I— “  
“Parsley, please. We don’t need you getting sick,” Basil said with a pleading face.  
“Okay fine,” Parsley surrendered as she was wrapped in the plum purple hoodie. When Basil had taken it off, it revealed his long sleeve red and gray striped shirt. “But won’t you be cold without your hoodie?”  
“I’m not the one wearing short sleeves,” said Basil a little teasingly, and Parsley sighed. Then they both laughed.  
After a short silence, Parsley spoke up. “So, about that date, where were you planning on taking me?”  
“I’m not quite sure yet, but it’s definitely not going to be at the Maneki Neko. I don’t want to have our first date at the place where I work.”  
“’Our first?’ So there are going to be more dates?” Parsley had a slightly mischievous smile on her face. One that reminded him a lot of Rosemary. Maybe the girls were rubbing off on each other.  
“I-I mean, uh, if you want more than one then yeah. But if you don’t then I understand.”  
“I do, but only on one condition.”  
“What is it?”  
“I get to be your girlfriend,” Parsley smirked, and her face turned a little pink as well.  
“Only if I get to be your boyfriend,” Basil responded, trying to keep his voice steady.  
“Deal,” Parsley smiled, linking arms with Basil again.  
After just a few more minutes of walking, they started to hear familiar voices. Then a sneeze.  
“Sounds like Thyme,” Basil said.  
Another sneeze, this time synchronized with Parsley’s.  
“That’s definitely Thyme,” she said.  
Turning another corner, they saw the tall blonde boy and the fiery redhead. “Hey guys,” Thyme said as they approached. “Any ideas on how to get out of here?”  
“It looks like the exit is just over there,” said Rosemary. “Come on, wha’ are we waitin’ for?”  
“She seems eager to get out of here,” Parsley laughed as Rosemary headed towards the exit.  
“Well, we’ve been walking for a while,” Thyme explained. “Plus, I think she’s upset because she got hit in the face with a corn cob.”  
“She’s not the only one,” Basil said, rubbing the bruise on his cheek.  
As they finally exited the Maize Maze, they saw Lavender and Oregano dancing around and saying “We won! We won!” over and over again.  
“Hey, where’s Sage?” Thyme asked the kids.  
“She’s over there sitting on our prize,” said Oregano, pointing to the right. Looking over, everyone saw Sage sitting on a giant bear stuffed animal that looked like it would hit the ceiling of any house.  
“I’m goin’ to let Oregano keep it since he was the one who found the exit,” said Lavender.  
“How are we going fit that in our house?” asked Basil as he gazed that the huge stuffed bear.  
“How are we going to fit that in my van?” asked Parsley in response.  
“We will find a way,” Sage said as she approached them. As Rosemary walked off towards her sister, Thyme joined the others. “So, did anything special happen while I was gone?”  
“I finally did what you’ve been pushing me to do for the past two years,” Basil smiled.  
Sage smiled and gasped, then turned to Parsley. “He asked you out?”  
“Yes.”  
“And you said yes?”  
“Yes,” Parsley laughed.  
“Finally! It’s about time you asked her,” Thyme remarked.  
“Well what about you?” Basil said defensively. “Did you finally ask Rosemary out?”  
“Well, uh, I was going to but— “  
“You didn’t ask he out?!” Sage exclaimed.  
“Shhh! Not so loud!” Thyme whispered. “I was going to, but I got nervous. The words just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. And then we caught up with the others and I figured it was too late.”  
“Pfff, and yet you make fun of me when I get nervous,” Basil remarked.  
Sage turned to Thyme, growled in frustration, then started yelling in Spanish. “¡Eres muy estúpido! ¡No puedo creer que tuvieras la oportunidad perfecta de pedirle una fecha y la estropeaste! ¡No puedo creerte!”  
Sage angrily marched off towards the bear and Thyme simply stood there, taken aback by her yelling. Parsley and Basil couldn’t help but laugh at him.  
“Did anyone understand any of that?” Thyme asked.  
“She said what we were all thinking,” Basil assured him.  
As nighttime approached, everyone decided to take a ride on the Ferris Wheel before heading home. Lavender and Oregano got a seat to themselves, having Sage sit with the giant stuffed bear. Parsley and Basil, or course, got their own seat and Thyme and Rosemary were below them. They all gazed at the dark sky that was sparkling with millions of tiny stars.  
“The sky is so beautiful out here in the country,” Parsley said as the stars sparkled in her eyes.  
“Yeah, but I can see something even more beautiful,” Basil said as he stared at Parsley. When Parsley looked at him, she realized what (or who) he was talking about and blushed as she smiled. Basil noticed the colorful lights from the fair were reflected in her circular glasses.  
“That’s sweet, Basil,” Parsley said as she laid her head on his shoulder. Basil felt his cheeks burn again.  
“It’s also true,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her.  
In that moment, everything was good. Everything was perfect. He felt as though nothing in the world could bother him, because in that moment he had everything. He had Jesus, he had Parsley, and most of all he had love. What more could a person need?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spanish to English translation-
> 
> Sage (yelling at Thyme)- You are very stupid! I can not believe you had the perfect opportunity to ask her on a date and ruined it! I can not believe you!


	14. Skool Luv Affair

The sound of jolly melodies filled the store as yet another Christmas song began. Sage fiddled with the small hand sanitizer samples on the register’s counter and sighed. If there is one thing that working in retail will ruin for you, it’s Christmas music. Her work had been playing it constantly ever since the middle of November. It was early December now and, as much as she loved Christmas, she was starting to get tired of hearing the songs every day.  
Still, she loved her work. She worked at a store in the mall called Blissful Beauty, which sold bath and beauty products such as scented hand sanitizer, lotion, perfume, candles, and many other products. There was also a section of the store that sold women’s clothing such as pajama sets, fuzzy socks, and a small bit of lingerie. That section was separated by a wall with two glass doors so customers could walk into either store without having to exit both stores completely.  
Sage knew this store was mostly meant for females, but she rather liked the idea. She felt as though girls (or feminine people in general) sometimes needed a store they can feel comfortable in without having to hide any femininity. Besides, there was always an occasional guy who would be dragged into the store by their girlfriend. She always laughed at how awkward they would act. This was definitely not a store for males.  
As she looked towards the store entrance, she felt as though her heart skipped a few beats. Entering the store was the most attractive man she had ever seen. His skin was a beautiful chocolate brown, perfectly matching his eyes. He had a short dark beard and his hair consisted of short, pastel pink dreadlocks that were pushed back by a thick bandana. He was tall, maybe around six feet, and he wore a jade green cardigan and jeans. He was so handsome. And he was alone. Was he shopping for a girlfriend? A family member? Maybe his purchase will be a Christmas gift for someone?  
“Muy guapo,” Sage muttered to herself, then she suddenly realized he was standing at the counter. She surely hoped this stranger could not understand Spanish.  
“Hello,” he said, his voice soft yet firm. He placed three hand sanitizers onto the counter, each of the same scent.  
“Hello,” Sage said, scanning the merchandise. As she scanned, she noticed he had picked out her favorite scent: Blooming Roses. “Have you signed up for our rewards card, sir?”  
“No ma’am, I haven’t,” he said politely. “But I would like to.”  
“Alright, let me just pull it up on the computer,” Sage said as she typed on the keyboard to the side of her. “So, are you shopping for a girlfriend?”  
“Oh, uh, no actually. I just like the scents at this store,” the man said, looking slightly embarrassed now.  
Sage chuckled. “I like them too. You picked out my favorite scent.”  
“Blooming Roses is your favorite scent? Mine too.”  
“I am going to need your name and email, please,” said Sage. “It is for the rewards card.”  
After giving her his email, Sage’s heart skipped another beat when he said “and my name is Cilantro De León.”  
Sage paused for a moment. “Are you Hispanic, too?”  
Cilantro nodded. “I’m from Guatemala.”  
That only made him more attractive. Sage tried not to sound nervous as she said “That is nice! I am from Columbia. I have not met many other Hispanics since I moved to Scarborough.”  
“Yeah, there are not many of us around. But the diversity here is kind of nice,” said Cilantro.  
“Yes it is,” Sage said as she handed him the small pink bag. “Okay, since you signed up for a rewards card it can save you as much as ten dollars on your next purchase. Just make sure you check your email to confirm it is you.”  
“Okay, sounds great,” Cilantro smiled. “I will see you soon.”  
“Thank you for shopping at Blissful Beauty,” Sage smiled back as he turned towards the exit.  
After he left the store, she let out a deep breath. What happened just then? She has never gotten thrown off by a guy like that. “Get it together, Sage,” she told herself.  
About an hour later, Sage saw something she never thought she would see: Thyme and Basil walking into the very store they always said was too feminine for them. Well, Thyme said that at least. She wasn’t quite sure how Basil felt about Blissful Beauty.  
“Well what a sight for sore eyes,” she teased as she wrapped her curly brown hair around her finger. “Thyme and Basil in a beauty store. I should take a picture.”  
“Ha ha ha, very funny,” said Thyme. “Trust me, it was not my decision to come here.”  
“Then whose was it?”  
“It was mine,” said Basil as they approached the counter. “I need your help with something, if you don’t mind.”  
Sage cleared her throat and said in a mockingly kind voice “Welcome to Blissful Beauty, how may I be of assistance?”  
Basil laughed. “Okay so, I want to get Parsley some perfume as part of her Christmas gift because I know she likes this store. Do you know any of her favorite scents?”  
“You have been her boyfriend for over a month, shouldn’t you know this stuff?” Sage responded.  
“Well, I— “  
“That’s what I keep telling him,” Thyme interrupted.  
“Shut up, at least he had the guts to ask out his crush,” Sage said sassily. “Besides, you are her twin. You should know this stuff too.”  
“We haven’t really talked about her favorite scents,” Basil explained as Thyme glared at Sage. “I guess it’s just not something I have thought about bringing up in our conversations.”  
“Okay, I will help you out,” Sage said, adjusting her green work apron. She never quite understood why she had to wear an apron in a beauty store. “Follow me and I will show you what she likes.”  
Walking towards a perfume table near the front of the store, she held out a transparent cream colored bottle. “This one is her absolute favorite. It is called Sweet Vanilla.”  
She sprayed a small bit of the perfume onto Basil’s wrist. He sniffed it and said “Oh, that smells nice.”  
Next she picked up a transparent light blue bottle with a picture of a palm tree on it. “This one is Island of Cotton,” she said, then went to grab Thyme’s wrist. He quickly snapped his hand back. “It’s perfume, not poison.”  
Spraying a bit of the blue perfume on Thyme’s wrist, he sniffed it and said “Not bad.” Basil then grabbed his wrist, smelled the perfume and said “I really like that one.”  
After showing them a few more scents, Basil decided he would buy Parsley the Sweet Vanilla and Island of Cotton perfumes. Thyme decided to buy her two perfumes called Pink Cherry Blossom and Strawberry Fields (Sage thinks he bought her the last one simply for the Beatles reference).  
The boys payed for their things and, before they left, Sage asked them something important. “How is Parsley doing in school? You know, since you two started dating and all? Is she still getting picked on by those girls?”  
“Well, a lot of people in our classes call us an adorable couple and think we are cute together,” Basil started.  
“But Maggie and May are only getting worse,” Thyme continued. “They’re saying Parsley and Basil are a disgusting couple. They’re saying that they’re too touchy and Parsley does not deserve someone like Basil.”  
“At one point they even started verbally attacking me. They said that I’m probably going to end up ‘being gay’ since I am dating someone ‘so boyish,’” Basil admitted. “They keep calling Parsley a boy and I hate it.”  
Sage gave a frustrated growl. “One day those girls are going to get what they deserve,” she said. “Even if I have to be the one to give it to them.”  
After talking a little more about this subject, they assured each other that Parsley would be just fine as long as they are around. If they are around, nothing can touch her. They would always be there to protect her.  
The boys then decided to go back to Basil’s house so they could wrap the gifts in secret, not having to worry about if Parsley would walk in at any given moment. Sage smiled at the thought of Christmas being just around the corner. Starting tomorrow, schools would be on Winter Break and soon enough the group will be spending time with each other and their families. Sage loved Christmas, even if the music did get a little annoying after a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spanish to English translation-
> 
> Sage (upon first seeing Cilantro)- "Very handsome"


	15. Mistletoe Kisses

The scent of pine trees lingered through the air as the Arkwright twins prepared their house for the Christmas Potluck that was going to begin in about an hour. The house was perfectly decorated for the holiday season. The walls were strung with colorful Christmas lights, the big fluffy pine tree was decorated with red spherical ornaments and tinsel, and the family’s stockings were pinned up on the small fireplace in the living room.  
Parsley and Thyme never had much of a problem getting along when it came to cleaning and preparing the house. Each of them had a different task assigned to them by their parents and if one of them did not like a certain job, they would simply do a tradeoff for a task they preferred more. At this moment, however, Parsley was getting a bit annoyed with the conversation topic Thyme has started.  
“Seriously Parsley, you’ve been dating Basil for nearly a month and you haven’t even tried to kiss him,” Thyme said as he covered the kitchen table in a red, black, and white plaid table cover.  
“So what? I don’t want to move too fast in this relationship,” Parsley explained with an annoyed tone as she arranged the festive décor onto; the table. “If I try to kiss him already, it might freak him out.”  
“Trust me Pars, if you kiss him now he won’t be freaked out. In fact, he’ll probably get all swoony.”  
“Yeah, right.”  
“I’m just saying, there’s a reason Sage is bringing mistletoe to this party,” Thyme smirked.  
“Wait, what?! I told her not to bring that!” Parsley exclaimed.  
As soon as she said that, someone knocked on their front door. As Parsley turned to answer it, she looked at Thyme and said “This is not your relationship, okay? Basil and I will take things as fast or as slow as we want. We don’t need you or anyone else telling us how to run our relationship.”  
Thyme paused for a moment. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m sorry.”  
“It’s fine, I’m not mad,” said Parsley. “Will you please check on the turkey that’s in the oven while I get the door?”  
Answering the door, Parsley was not surprised to see that Sage and her father, Girasol, were the first guests to arrive. They were each carrying a container filled with the food they had made. She noticed that Sage had Christmas bells connected to the hairband that was holding her curly brown ponytail, and she was wearing her favorite pastel pink and white jacket. Parsley suddenly felt boring and un-festive in her blue and gray “Magical Mystery Tour” baseball tee. Even Thyme was wearing his Santa Claus hat.  
“Hola!” Sage said happily. “I brought pupusas!”  
“Oh good,” Parsley smiled. “Did you bring vegetarian ones?”  
“Of course I did! Jeez, you act like I do not know you at all,” Sage teased as she walked into the house.  
“Hola, Parsley,” said Girasol with his calm voice. “I brought butter cookies. Normally they are decorated with chocolate sprinkles, but around the holidays they have red and green sprinkles.”  
“How festive,” Parsley smiled again. “Here, let me hold the container for you.”  
“Oh, there is no need for that. Having only one arm cannot stop me from carrying anything,” Girasol said with a wink.  
“R-right, sorry,” Parsley said, feeling a little embarrassed now. She often forgot how independent Sage’s father tends to be.  
After the food was set out, the decorations were finished, and the mistletoe was (unfortunately) hung, the guests started arriving one-by-one. First it was Rosemary and Lavender who brought macaroni casserole and snickerdoodles, then Basil and Oregano who brought muffins and chocolate covered pretzels (“I dipped them in the chocolate myself!” Oregano exclaimed). Some friends of the twins’ parents had come to the potluck as well.  
“Sorry me mum couldn’t make it,” said Rosemary. “She really wanted te come but she had a date with a lady at her work.”  
“That’s fine, I understand,” said Parsley. “Basil’s parents couldn’t make it either. They had to stay and run the café.”  
“Speakin’ of Basil, did he make these muffins himself? They taste great,” Rosemary said as she bit into yet another blueberry muffin, a few crumbs falling onto her Slytherin cardigan.  
Parsley chuckled. “I don’t know but I’ll ask.”  
Interrupting Basil and Thyme’s conversation, Parsley called Basil over to the kitchen table where they were sitting. “Yes, Pars?” Basil asked. “Sorry about not being over here. Thyme wanted to talk to me for a minute.”  
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Parsley smiled. “Rosemary just wanted to know if you made these muffins yourself.”  
“Oh, yeah I did. I learned how to make them from scratch at a very young age,” Basil explained.  
“Ye shoul’ sell ‘em at your café,” Rosemary said through the bite of muffin that was crammed in her mouth.  
“Ooh! That would be awesome! I bet they would sell really well,” said Parsley excitedly.  
“Well, I’ve never really thought about it,” Basil admitted. “But yeah, I’m sure I could sell those and some other baked goods at the café. It would save us a lot of money.”  
“It might persuade me to come to the café more often, too,” said Parsley.  
“Well then I’ll definitely start selling my food,” Basil smiled as he pulled Parsley into a hug.  
Later on that evening, after everyone feasted on various foods and exchanged gifts with each other, Thyme and Rosemary were talking on the couch while Sage was on the back porch with her father. Meanwhile, Basil was playing guitar for Parsley in the back room.  
“That sounded really good!” Parsley smiled.  
“Thanks, I’ve been practicing a lot lately,” Basil smiled back.  
“It really shows,” responded Parsley. “By the way, you should look directly above you.”  
As Basil looked up at the ceiling, his cheeks turned pink. “Uh, is that mistletoe?”  
“Yes it is,” said Parsley, then she gave him a kiss on his cheek.  
Basil’s face turned beat red. Parsley expected him to run his hand through his hair like he always does, but instead he put his hand on her cheek and kissed her. He actually kissed her. This was so sudden and unexpected that it threw Parsley off guard…but she loved it. Basil’s lips were so soft and gentle while they pressed against hers. His hands were cold against her cheek but she did not mind because she could feel her face burning.  
The kiss was then interrupted by a familiar voice saying “Oh good, it worked!”  
Parsley and Basil looked over to see Sage standing near the door that leads to the back porch, her face beaming. “Now if you do not mind, could you please hand me the mistletoe from the ceiling?”  
“Uh, sure,” Basil said, setting down his guitar and standing up to grab the mistletoe off of the roof.  
“What do you need it for?” Parsley asked curiously.  
“You are about to find out,” Sage said as she waltzed into the living room. Parsley and Basil decided to watch Sage’s little plan from the kitchen.  
Standing behind the couch Rosemary and Thyme were sitting on, Sage held the mistletoe directly in between the two of them. “Time to kiss, you two,” Sage said with a wink.  
“Sage, I told ye,” Rosemary started. “I’m not kissin’ anyone unless I go on a date with ‘em and it all goes well.”  
Thyme then grabbed Rosemary’s hand, and Sage slowly backed into the kitchen. “Well,” Thyme said. “Will you go on a date with me?”  
Rosemary’s face turned as red as her curly hair. “R-really?”  
“Really.”  
“Okay. Y-yeah, I’ll go on a date with ye.”  
Thyme smiled as Sage cheered in the background. Looking over, Thyme said “I didn’t realize we had an audience.”  
“I am startin’ te get used to it,” Rosemary laughed.  
Everyone else joined them in the living room. The rest of the night was filled with talking, and laughter, and stories. Rosemary told everyone about how she may start selling her art, and Sage told everyone about the rather attractive customer she had a few weeks ago who started coming in more and more. Everyone snacked on chocolate covered pretzels and butter cookies while sharing their stories. Parsley treasured moments like this. She enjoyed having everyone together as a family, sharing love and celebrating Jesus. After all, that is what Christmas is all about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lateness of the Christmas chapter, the holidays are keeping me busy.


	16. Crazy Little Thing called Love

The shopping mall was unsurprisingly packed with people during this Saturday afternoon. Every store was filled with people chatting and laughing and purchasing their favorite items. Parsley and Basil sat at a small two-person table at the food court, sharing a plate of orange chicken, vegetable stir fry, and fried rice. This particular date was in celebration of their four-month anniversary, and the both of them were very excited to have made it this far in their relationship.  
“So,” Basil said as he stabbed another piece of chicken with his plastic fork. “What made you want to come to the mall for our date?”  
“I think I want to shop around for some new shirts, and possibly some candles for my room,” Parsley explained, scooping rice onto her spoon. She refused to touch the chicken Basil had ordered. “Plus, the cookie company in the food court is amazing.”  
Basil chuckled. “That’s true, they’re pretty good,” he admitted as he turned to look at the cookie company just behind them. “But I still think I could do better.”  
“Don’t get too big of a head there, mister,” Parsley laughed, her emerald eyes lighting up behind her circular glasses. “I’ve gotta admit, I’m surprised you’re actually eating Thai food.”  
Basil moaned as he chewed another piece of chicken. “It’s definitely not my favorite,” he said, swallowing. “But when we got here, you seemed to really want it.”  
“Aww,” Parsley cooed. “You sacrificed your taste buds just for me?”  
She enjoyed seeing Basil’s pale face turn beet red as he ran his hand though his jet black hair. He almost became too flustered to speak. “Well, I mean, the food isn’t so bad,” he said. “Besides, if it makes you happy then it doesn’t matter what I think of it.”  
He stopped speaking when he noticed Parsley’s big smile. “W-what?” he asked. “What’s with the smile? I mean, not that I don’t enjoy you’re smile, because I do but I— “  
“You’re adorable,” Parsley interrupted. Basil’s only response was to look down at their plate and moan. Parsley knew that calling him adorable made him embarrassed, but that never stopped her.   
After finishing up their food, they bought a few cookies and headed into a clothing store to browse. Neither of them found very much, and what they did find was way too expensive. After visiting about three more stores, they finally found one that satisfied both of them.  
They were in there for only a few minutes when Parsley pulled a shirt from one of the racks. It was a men’s baseball tee with a light gray torso and violet sleeves. “Hey Basil, what do you think of this shirt?” she asked.  
Standing on the other side of the rack, Basil lifted his head and said through a mouthful of cookie “Oh, that looks really nice,” then swallowed. “It’s even in my favorite color.”  
“I think it would look really cute on you!” Parsley grinned. “Will you try it on for me?”  
Basil let out a happy sigh. He couldn’t resist Parsley’s excitement, even if he tried. “Sure,” he smiled. “Here, hold my jacket.”  
As Parsley slipped into his plum purple hoodie, Basil stepped into a dressing room. He hesitated for a moment. These things always felt to awkward to him. Weren’t there cameras around? And he was undressing right in front of them.  
After a moment, he decided to just deal with it. Taking off his Metroid shirt, he pulled the baseball tee over his head and studied himself in the mirror for a moment. He supposed he did look pretty good in it. Plus, it was a nice color.  
“Let me see!” said Parsley excitedly from the other side of the door. Stepping out of the dressing room, he could see her face light up. “You look so cute!” she said, pulling him into a hug. “I’m definitely buying this for you.”  
“Are you sure?” Basil asked. “I could buy it myself if you need me to. You don’t have to spend your money on me.”  
Parsley placed a finger upon his lips, causing his cheeks to turn pink again. “I’m buying this for you,” she said, and Basil could tell that was the end of the discussion.  
Later on while they were digging around in another clothes store, Parsley came across something she would never have thought she would like: a dress. It was a flowy yellow sundress that went to her knees. It had a black belt wrapped around the waist and pockets not far below it. She stared at it for a few moments, trying to imagine how it would look on her.  
“What do you think I would look like in a dress?” she asked as she turned to Basil.  
He looked at the dress, then at Parsley, then smiled. “I think you’re going to look adorable in anything, even if you’re not trying to,” he complimented her. “Also, it would go with your hair.”  
Parsley placed a hand on her blonde pixie cut and smiled. Shopping with Basil always made her feel like she was beautiful. Tugging on the bottom of her Moody Blues t-shirt, she said “I’m going to go try this on, okay? Let me know what you think.”  
As she stood in the dressing room, she faced away from the mirror. She hated that thing. It was just sitting there, teasing her. Provoking her. Showing her that stupid flat chest she had. Showing her how much curve and femininity her body lacked. She took a deep breath. That stuff doesn’t matter, Parsley, she reminded herself. You’re beautiful no matter what people say.  
Slipping into the dress, she decided to turn around to see how she looked. She nearly gasped from shock when she saw herself. Was that really her in the mirror? She looked…pretty. She never realized how much she liked her own legs until now. They had a nice curve to them. And this dress showed her that she had more hips than she thought she did. Plus, Basil was right, this dress really did go with her light blonde hair. And were her eyes always that nice shade of green? Her glasses really helped bring them out.  
“Hey Parsley, are you okay?” Basil asked, starting to sound a little concerned.  
As she opened the door of the dressing room and stepped out, a smile grew on Basil’s face.  
“I…” said Parsley. She was a bit lost for words. “I think I look pretty in this.”  
Pulling her into a tight hug, Basil said “I told you, you look beautiful no matter what you’re wearing.”  
Parsley hugged him back, thankful that he was here. Basil always made her feel so nice about herself. Maybe that was why her confidence had grown so much. All of those compliments really made an impact on her.  
As Basil released her (a bit too early, in Parsley’s opinion), he asked “Do you want me to buy this dress for you? You seem to really like it.”  
“Well, if you want to. But I have enough money for it— “  
This time, Basil placed a finger upon her lips. In that moment, she understood why he blushed every time she did this to him. It was kind of attractive. “You bought a shirt for me, so I’ll buy the dress for you,” he smiled.  
Once they were finally finished clothes shopping (and Parsley practically had a whole new wardrobe of flannels), they decided to look for some scented candles.  
“Do you think we should go to Blissful Beauty?” Parsley asked. “We could visit Sage.”  
“Only if she stops teasing me about the last time I came into that store,” Basil said, slightly annoyed but still smiling nonetheless.  
Parsley laughed. “You know she’s never going to let that go.”  
“I know, I know. But I still wish she would bring it up less often.”  
When they approached Blissful Beauty, Parsley suddenly stopped and held out a hand, preventing Basil from entering the store. Basil simply gave her a confused look in response.  
“Look,” Parsley whispered, pointing to the back of the store. Sage was standing at the register talking with a customer. The customer was tall with dark skin and pink dreadlocks that were pushed back with a thick headband. Sage’s face turned pink as she spoke. Neither of them had ever seen her blush before.  
“Is that…” Basil started.  
“It’s the customer that Sage has been telling us about!” Parsley said excitedly.  
“Are you sure?”  
“Basil, who else do you know who has pink dreadlocks?”  
“Oh, well excuse me for asking a question, miss smarty pants.”  
Parsley snickered at his sarcasm. “You’re a dork,” she commented. “Do you think we should go in there?”  
“No,” said Basil. “I think we should let the two of them talk with each other. They probably don’t get to chat that often since this store is almost always packed.”  
“That’s true, it’s pretty empty today,” Parsley admitted.   
“Come on,” Basil smiled. “We can go to that store upstairs that is meant specifically for candles.”  
“Well, okay,” Parsley said as they began walking again. “But I’m going to bug Sage about this once she gets home.”  
Basil laughed and put his arm around Parsley’s shoulders. “I’m not surprised.”


	17. Lunch Break

One would think that on a busy day such as today, one of the only two beauty stores in the entire mall would be packed. Instead Blissful Beauty was surprisingly empty, and Sage blamed the newer, fancier beauty store that had just been opened upstairs. She supposed she couldn't complain much considering this meant she got to do less work. But now she would get a smaller paycheck and she felt as though she had nothing to do throughout the day.  
She currently found herself unpacking new shipments of Valentine themed lotions and bath products in the back of the store as her coworker ran the register out front. As much as she hated to admit it, she was a sucker for Valentines Day. She was a romantic who always felt weak while watching cliché romance movies. There had been many times where she found herself dreaming about meeting the perfect man and falling deeply in love, but she knew this was something that could not happen. She needed to focus on her job and, as independent as he was, her father still needed some taking care of. He wasn’t able to do every single task with his one arm, and ever since the loss of her mother he hadn’t been the same, emotionally.  
“There are more important things to focus on,” she quietly reminded herself. “I will not be totally alone on Valentines Day. I will have my friends.”  
As the realization that her friends all had dates washed over her, Sage couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment. She only had a moment to mourn over her dead love life before her coworker called her out to the register, telling her to bring some Blooming Roses lotion. A small smile grew across her face. She only knew one person who would specifically ask for this scent. Cilantro was here.  
Walking to the register with lotion in hand, she smiled as the beautiful dark skinned man came into view. He was wearing a gray and red cardigan and his pink dreads almost seemed brighter than before. “Hello Sage,” Cilantro greeted her as she approached. “Your hair looks so cute when it’s straight.”  
Sage could feel her face begin to burn and she was suddenly glad she made the decision to straighten her usually curly hair this morning. “Oh, thank you,” she smiled. “I wanted to go with something a little different today.”  
“I’m glad you did. It looks cute,” he said. “But I have to say, I love your curls just as much.”  
Sage let out a small giggle. “Oh Cilantro, you are being so flattering today,” she smiled as she began to ring up the lotions. “Is there any particular reason?”  
“Actually, yes,” Cilantro admitted, his face turning a pale shade of pink. “If I’m being honest, I didn’t come here for the lotions.”  
“Oh? Well we have things besides lotions. We have hand sanitizer and body wash and-“  
“No no, that’s not what I meant,” Cilantro interrupted. “I didn’t come to buy anything.”  
Sage raised an eyebrow at him, confused.  
“I, uh, I came to see if you had taken your lunch break yet?”  
“Not yet. Why?”  
“Well I was thinking…if you wanted to…maybe I could take you out to eat?”  
Sage looked up into his deep brown eyes and smiled, unable to hide her excitement. “Are you asking me on a date?”  
“Well, yes,” Cilantro blushed. “Or at least… I’m trying to.”  
“Of course I will,” she giggled, then her smile slowly faded. “Oh, wait, I am not allowed to leave the mall while working.”  
Cilantro eyes wandered for a moment as he thought. Then as he began to smile, Sage couldn’t help but smile as well. “That’s alright, we can have our date in the food court,” he said. “I’ll take you anywhere you want.”  
“That sounds perfect!” Sage smiled. “Just let me get my purse.”  
“Really? I mean, I know it’s kind of lame to have our date in the food court but I-“  
“It is not lame, it’s cute.”  
As Sage walked into the back of the store to take off her work apron and grab her purse, she couldn’t control the huge smile that had grown across her face. She finally had a date, and with the man she had wanted be with for months! She suddenly found herself no longer worrying about the things that had prevented her from dating before. In this moment, she wanted nothing more than to go on the date she had craved for so long. Perhaps this could be the beginning of her cliché love story.


End file.
